Amazing Grace

Chapter 5

Grace turned the key in the lock. Monica had given her two and a half hours until she was being picked back up for a night out on the town. As she closed the door, she realised how painfully quiet it was without her son in the house and, as always, it made her heart twang.

She was so glad that her life had changed for the better now, even if that meant being alone and being a single mum. When she and Mark first split, Grace had worried most about how Archie was going to handle it. She’d waited forever to meet the love of her life, and on the day her son was born, she did. He was her pride and joy. Her life. Her everything. She had a pang of sadness every time she thought about just how much her mum would have loved him, and that she’d never had the opportunity to share Archie and his wonderful self with her.

Grace tottered down her long hallway, the new high heels that she’d promised Monica she’d get used to click-clacking on the Victorian tiled floor, and plonked down her shopping, handbag and keys on the large wooden bureau at the far end of the hall. She’d always longed to walk through the front door and be welcomed by someone who simply couldn’t live without her. And she knew that in just a few seconds, she would be getting such a hug and a heart full of love coming her way.

The thud of a tail thumping on the floor could be heard as she opened the kitchen door, and there he was.

‘Hewo, my gorgeous boyyyyyy.’ She tickled Becks behind his ears and squatted down to his level where he leant into her, sat straight on her lap and knocked her off balance. ‘Hewo, my bootiful baby. Mamma’s home now! Do you need to go do a wee-wee?’ She laughed at herself and wondered why people talked to animals and babies in a stupid voice.

Since Becks came into their lives, she understood why dogs were used in therapy. Just stroking this gorgeous bundle of fluffiness always restored her spirits. He just seemed to sense that she needed to laugh and be loved. She was so glad that he was part of her life.

She opened the French doors, which led onto the patio, to let Becks out. Seeing how much of a state the garden was in, Grace remembered that she wasn’t the only thing in her life that desperately needed some love and attention. She glanced at her watch as she flicked on the kettle and grabbed her favourite Cath Kidston mug from the cupboard. She had a bit of time before her big evening out.

Off came the high heels, and she sighed in relief as her feet hit the cold stone tiles. She grabbed the slipper boots that had been warming on the radiator, slid her feet inside and soon started to warm up. It was early spring and even though it had been a day of bright sunshine, the afternoons were still a little chilly, especially when you had a tiled floor.

She went over to the huge chrome American-style fridge freezer and as she grabbed the milk from the fridge door, she spotted a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Mmm! She thought. That might just hit the spot and give her some much-needed Dutch courage. She dreaded to think what Monica had planned for their big night out.

She grabbed a large wine goblet from the cupboard next to the fridge, filled it halfway and took a big swig. As the cool liquid hit the back of her throat, she sighed and took another large gulp. Rolling her shoulders in a circular motion like her Pilates teacher had taught her to, Grace closed the French doors after Becks wandered back in. He followed her through to the lounge, a homely room with two huge brown leather sofas opposite each other separated by a wooden coffee table. She switched on the two table lamps, which cast a low cosy glow into the room. Lighting her Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir candle, her decadent present to herself, she slumped down into her big comfy reading chair, in the large bay window, Becks curled up with his head resting on her feet.

Grace remembered the first time Mark had taken Archie away for a week’s holiday. All her friends had tried to comfort her, saying that they’d love a week off from their kids, but it broke Grace’s heart to hear people say that. She hated being away from Archie. He was the person she was closest to in the world. He was her best friend. She loved spending time with him, whether it was going to theme parks – which they could rarely afford these days – visiting friends or just chilling out at home.

When he was away from her it felt like she’d lost a limb, and she had a constant dull ache in her heart. She thought she’d get used to it in time, but she never really had. The fact of it was that even before Archie was born, Grace realised why she’d been put on earth. Her job was to be a mum. Archie’s mum. It was the best job she’d ever had.

At first, she’d made sure that she planned to do something or go somewhere on the nights when Archie went to Mark’s flat. Then the nights that he was with her would be their special time. She hated sharing her son, even if it was only every other weekend and one night in the week. She certainly had never thought that she’d be in the position where she’d have to do that. She even wished sometimes in her really dark moments that Mark had died so that she didn’t have to share Archie, but then she pulled herself back in check, realising that it was best for their son to have both his parents in his life, even if one of those was an arsehole sometimes.

When she and Mark were together, she’d been the main carer for Archie. Mark was always at work and when he did have some free time, he spent it on going to the gym, or out with his friends, or playing squash. At least that’s what he said he’d been doing. Grace found out later that it was just a ruse for going out for drinks with other women. He denied it of course, every time she asked him where he was. In fact, he used to tell her that it was nothing to do with her – where he was – and that he didn’t have to tell her anything. She had always found that suspicious – if he didn’t have anything to hide, surely he would just say where he was going? Mark’s rejoinder was that they were two people in a relationship, not fused at the hip; they didn’t have to do everything together. But they actually didn’t do anything together, so Grace spent her time lonely and worrying what Mark was up to on the nights he wasn’t at home. She just wanted someone who loved spending time with her.

She spent her life making excuses for Mark, not telling her friends the truth about him. Whenever they came round, he always made out that he was the perfect husband, offering to make cups of tea and charming them with his sparkling conversation, but behind closed doors Mark treated her like she was his skivvy.

He certainly blamed Grace for their lack of sex life. His idea of foreplay most of the time was not speaking to her for a week, then getting into bed and asking abruptly if she fancied a shag. Strangely enough, that didn’t really do it for her, and nor did his mood swings, spinning between the roles of attentive husband and mardy bastard, so that she never knew which Mark she was going to come home to. The worst part about it was that because he was so manipulative, she always ended up questioning herself and starting to wonder if she was in the wrong.

On those occasions when she did agree to have sex with him, it was because she felt like she should keep the peace and because if she did it with him, it might shut him up for a week or two. His sexual technique left a lot to be desired too. He seemed to think that grabbing her boobs and twiddling her nipples like he was trying to tune into a radio station would be a big turn-on. Most of the time, she was glad the lights were off so he couldn’t see her grimacing, wishing it would be over as quickly as possible.

But on his great days, he was the most attentive person ever, running her a bath, pouring her a GT; she’d wished she had that Mark all the time. That was the Mark she had fallen in love with; the Mark that had made her want to have his child. It wasn’t until afterwards she found out the times he’d been nicest to her were when he’d been up to no good.

Deep down, Grace had known for a long time that things weren’t quite right between them, but she also knew that families stuck together through thick and thin, and marriages were forever.

Finding out about Lorraine was a blessing in disguise in a way, Grace thought now as she wondered whether she’d have been brave enough to do anything about ending the marriage without a catalyst kicking it all off.

Grace’s train of thought was interrupted when the doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting anyone, let alone the dashingly handsome bearded man standing at her door. He had tousled dark brown hair, which he casually ran his fingers through as he spoke.

He introduced himself as Vinnie. He leant forward and his strong hand, slightly rough perhaps from hard work, shook hers as he stared deep into her eyes.

‘I’m so sorry to bother you on a Saturday. I’m from the landscaping company you left a message for earlier in the week. I didn’t have the chance to call you back so I just popped round on the off chance that you might be in as I was in the area,’ he said. ‘I wondered if I could take a look at those overgrown trees that you mentioned. Would that be OK?’

It would be more than OK, Grace thought. It was not every day that a hot sexy beefcake with a warm, seductive, yet soothing voice turned up on your doorstep and made your heart flutter. All her Christmases had come at once!

‘Yep, sure. Shall I take you round the back?’ Why did she say that? They both blushed.

‘Well, that’s the best offer I’ve had for a long time.’ Vinnie laughed and his whole face lit up, eyes sparkling. They were the most amazing, piercing, intense blue that seemed to look right through her to her innermost secrets. Crikey, Grace thought to herself. She hoped he didn’t know what she was thinking…

Becks came to investigate who was at the door and Vinnie bent down to stroke him. ‘Hey there, fella, you’re a beauty, aren’t you?’

Becks looked as if he was glowing with his compliment and stuck by Vinnie’s side, following him down the side path into the back garden as if he’d known him forever.

As she walked him into the garden, Grace took the opportunity to check out Vinnie. He was around six foot two and broad, with lean long legs that ended in a rather muscly yet perfectly shaped bum. His hair was dark with a few grey streaks around the ears. He was wearing a royal-blue polo shirt with the company logo, jeans and boots. As they reached the bottom of the garden, he leant over the fence and his t-shirt rode up his back, giving her a glimpse of an Armani waistband. She was just pondering over whether he wore boxers or briefs when he turned round and caught her staring at his backside. She quickly averted her eyes.

Blushing again, she pointed out one of the trees that really needed cutting back, and as he reached up to grab an overhanging branch, the front of his t-shirt rode up, displaying the most ripped six-pack she’d ever seen on a man that wasn’t in an advert. Her breath caught in her throat as their eyes met.

‘Yoo-hoo!’ Belinda from next door stuck her head over the fence, breaking the moment. ‘Hello, favourite neighbour,’ she beamed.

Grace let out a breath that she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in. ‘Hey, lovely, how are you?’

‘I’m good, darling, thank you, are you? And who is this gorgeous young man you’re hiding away at the bottom of your garden?’

‘Vinnie, this is Belinda. Belinda, this is Vinnie. He’s come to have a look at my bush.’ Grace blushed as red as a beetroot. She’d done it again.

‘Mmm, interesting.’ Belinda’s eyebrows rose. She was clearly trying not to laugh, but Grace could see her shoulders were shaking and her eyes twinkling more than normal. Grace breathed in a few times and tried very hard to control herself, not wanting to make Vinnie feel uncomfortable. But an uncontrollable laughing fit took over and she found herself giggling helplessly.

Once Belinda and Grace had pulled themselves together, she explained to Vinnie, who had turned away to take some photographs, that the trees were shutting a lot of light out of the garden and that she had to chase round the last bit of sunshine towards the end of the day through the summer.

Belinda nodded. ‘It’s a shame for poor Archie when he’s out playing, isn’t it, love?’

‘Archie is my ten-year-old son,’ Grace explained.

Vinnie slipped his phone back into his pocket. ‘Ah, I did wonder, what with the football goal and three hundred footballs by the patio doors. Although I suppose you might have been trying out for the England ladies’ team.’ He chuckled. ‘Well, we can’t have Archie playing football in the dark now, can we? We’ll try to get a bit more light sorted out for him then.’

They chatted about the landscaping for five minutes or so and Vinnie took more photos on his phone of the trees that needed attention. Then he turned round and snapped one of her too. ‘Just so that when I pass on the photos, the guys who come out know who to ask to make them a cuppa.’ He grinned.

Belinda’s eyebrows rose and she winked at Grace behind Vinnie’s back. Grace smiled. She had been truly blessed the day she moved into the house next door to Belinda and Bill. All she ever heard from their home was laughter. After many years of marriage, this wonderful couple were still the best of friends and madly in love with each other. It was a delight to see and gave her hope in love and marriage. They looked out for Grace and Archie, and Grace looked out for them. In fact, they were more like family than neighbours. They loved helping out with Archie, seeing him as a surrogate grandson who they could make a real fuss over. They looked after him sometimes when Grace had to work in the evening, and Belinda sometimes picked him up from school in an emergency. And Bill even gave in to Archie’s demands to play football with him from time to time until he needed to have a sit down and get his breath back. It was good for Grace to have someone to support her, without her mum around. Her dad was not really well enough to look after Archie. She didn’t know what she’d do without her fabulous neighbours.

Vinnie rubbed his hands together. ‘Right then, I’d better be off. I have the pleasure of going out on a stag night with my mates tonight, for my sins. God help me! I’d better go and make myself look respectable.’

He looked more than respectable to Grace. Since she’d split up with Mark, she didn’t think she’d actually come across anyone that she even marginally fancied, yet here was a man that she couldn’t take her eyes off. It was a shame that he’d now walk out of her life and she’d probably never see him again. Vinnie said his goodbyes to Belinda and walked up the side path to the front of Grace’s house. A ping from his phone signalled a text message, and a frown crossed his brow when he looked down at the screen. However, it quickly disappeared as he turned to say goodbye.

‘It’s been really lovely to meet you, Grace. Thanks so much for letting me pop in on the spur of the moment. Perhaps I’d better arrange to come back and make sure my team are doing a good job. You never know, I might get a cup of tea and a Hobnob next time?’ They grinned at each other and their eyes held just a second longer than they needed to. ‘You’d better give me your number again… erm, if that’s OK, of course, and I’ll plan a date in the diary when the boys can come and get the work done and we’ll get you some sunshine back into your life.’

Grace smiled, as she realised that he’d already done that. ‘Thanks, Vinnie, that would be great.’

She waved as he drove off in his four-wheel-drive truck. Turning towards the house with a stupid goofy grin on her face, like a teenager with her first crush, she literally bumped into Bill. Laughing, she said ‘Hello’ and gave him a quick hug before heading into the house.

Bill always made Grace laugh, particularly his ongoing feud with the local wildlife. Their side paths ran parallel and she often heard Bill yelling, followed by the sight of the top end of a broom above the fence. She took no notice now, but the first time she’d seen it, she’d wondered what the hell was going on. All she could see was Bill yelling and running up and down the path trying to shoo something up high with the broom. ‘Bloody shitting bastards!’ were the only words she could make out. She had gone over to speak with him and as they’d started to chat, he had suddenly broken off to yell into the sky: ‘Look at ’em, up there. They wait for me to jet wash the path then they shit all over it! Beady-eyed sneaky little bastards!’

Looking up, Grace had seen three pigeons sitting on the aerial of her neighbour’s house. As they stared, there was a swooshing noise followed swiftly by a sound similar to that of an egg splatting, and she realised that one had pooped, missing Bill by mere millimetres. She had tried very hard to keep a straight face and muttered how naughty it was of them. Making a swift exit, Grace had closed her back door and couldn’t help but giggle. It was at times like that she wished she had someone to share a right good laugh with.

As she closed the door, her phone pinged to say she had a text from Belinda.

Phwoar, he was a bit of all right! Get in there! I’m going to christen him ‘fit bloke’.

Grace laughed out loud and texted back:

Not every day you get a hotty like that turn up on your doorstep. Must have been my lucky day!

Normally on a Saturday afternoon, she’d be in her dog-walking clothes with not a bit of make-up on and her hair in a ponytail. Thank God for Monica right now, as on this particular Saturday she had been dolled up and looking really rather fabulous when the hot gardener arrived. Perhaps Lady Luck was on her side for a change!

She looked at her watch and saw that she had time for a quick cuppa before the big night out that Monica had planned. While the kettle boiled, she looked out of the kitchen window at the garden and realised that there was an awful lot of work to do, not just getting the trees cut back. She dismissed the thought that more work in the garden might mean more chances to meet the hot gardener, and laughed at herself.

Grace opened up the French doors and took her tea out to the garden, sitting on the cast-iron bench on a patio that had seen better days. Daffodils and snowdrops were starting to appear through the borders. Spring was her favourite time of year; crisp but bright mornings signified the start of a promising new season, and the days getting longer made her feel so much brighter. She thanked her lucky stars for this beautiful house that she now lived in.

* * *

Grace fell in love with her home in Little Ollington the moment she saw the details at the agency, sitting on a pile for her to type up. It was a house that she drove past every day on the way to the office and she’d always loved it but never thought it would be within her price range. She immediately asked if she could go and see it before the For Sale board went up. She hoped and prayed that it was as lovely as it looked from the outside.

It exuded charm and character from the moment Mrs Robinson opened its duck-egg blue front door and introduced herself and welcomed Grace and Archie inside. Grace’s heels click-clacked down the stone-tiled hallway, and she walked through the kitchen door and gasped.

‘Oh, Mrs Robinson, what a fabulous room.’

The kitchen was everything she’d ever wished for: cream gloss units and black marble worktops, with a central island breakfast bar to die for. If this was the first room, she couldn’t wait to see the rest of the house.

‘Call me Gladys, dear,’ she said. ‘Mrs Robinson makes me feel so old. Please do join me for a cup of tea. It’s nice to have some company for a change.’

Grace gazed out of the kitchen window looking at the huge garden as Gladys pottered around, laying a tea tray with what looked like the best china.

‘Why don’t you go and look round the rest of the house while I wait for the kettle to boil? And take your time. I’m in no rush today.’

Grace meandered around the house. Sadly, the kitchen was the only room which had been renovated; the other rooms needed a great deal of love and attention. But with her eye for interior design, Grace was able to visualise how each room could look under different circumstances. There would be a lot to do; there were no two ways about that. But it had the bones of a stunning house. The cast-iron fireplaces with tiled surrounds in the lounge and dining room were simply beautiful. She’d always dreamed of having a real fire, the smell always bringing back such happy memories of her childhood. The high ceilings with ornate cornicing gave a wonderful feeling of space, and the huge sash windows throughout reflected light into every room. She just loved it. She knew it would take a lot of hard work and money, but with her design skills and knowledge of using colour, light and shade, and coordinating the soft furnishings, this house could be totally exquisite – the perfect home for her and Archie.

‘What do you think, Arch?’

‘It’s a bit old and gloomy, Mum. I’d prefer to live somewhere newer, like Dad and Lorraine’s flat.’

Grace’s heart sank, but then his face lit up as he walked into one of the bedrooms that overlooked the back garden. Staring out of the window at the lawn, he said that there was room for a full-sized football goal. Grace agreed that it was definitely a possibility. And when Archie saw the huge TV screen on the wall of the bedroom, he claimed the room as his immediately. ‘We could get a TV like that for my Xbox, Mum! Can I have this room? Please, please! I love this house now. I’ve changed my mind.’ He did a strange dance move, and Grace did a funny move back at him.

‘Really, Mum! No one dabs any more. It’s all about the floss. Get with it!’

Grace grinned and heard the kettle whistling downstairs. A memory flooded back to her of her nanna’s house, where there was always a whistling kettle and tea leaves with a tea pot, china cups and saucers, and a tea strainer. She’d spent many hours as a young girl there, as her own mum worked so hard to keep the bills paid and a roof over their heads. Grace’s dad wasn’t good with money; he was old-fashioned in his ways and as quick as her mum could earn it, he could booze it away with his mates down the pub. Nanna was always there for her and her sister, Hannah, when Mum was working. There was a huge Nanna-shaped hole in all of their lives when she passed away not long after Grace turned sixteen. But right now, thinking about Nanna didn’t make her sad, it made her think about how much Nanna would love this house, and that warmed the cockles of her heart.

She returned downstairs, aware that her heart was beating a little faster. Since Mark had left there hadn’t been much to smile about, but looking around this house, Grace felt the first stirrings of anticipation.

‘Let me.’ She took the tray from Gladys and followed her through to the lounge where original leaded French doors overlooked the garden. It was strange but she felt a sense of peace in this house, as if she’d come home. It felt familiar and warm to her and a delicious shiver of excitement ran down her spine. Grace realised that it was enthusiasm, mixed with trepidation. She already knew she wanted this house for herself.

‘Do excuse the garden, my dear, I haven’t been able to keep on top of it. The house too. I’ve tried my best, but the time really has come for me to move to a smaller, more manageable, place. This house is way too big for me now and it’s time for someone new to come in and make wonderful memories like Charles and I made here with our family. I hold ours right here in my heart.’

A lump formed in Grace’s throat, and she hoped she and Archie would make amazing memories here, too. Memories that would make Gladys proud.

As Gladys reminisced about bringing up her family in the house and asked her questions about her life, Grace found herself opening up about Mark and her divorce. She told Gladys how they’d moved to Little Ollington when Mark had been offered a job out at a smaller school, after being sick and tired of schools in inner-city Birmingham. She confided that when they’d moved out to the countryside, they had known nobody, and about the fact that the split with Mark meant that they were living in a rented property but that they were now ready to find their forever home. She smiled at Gladys, hoping fervently that this would be the one.

She glanced over at Archie, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor playing Fortnite on Grace’s iPhone. Grace was going to have to start limiting screen time, as he had been a little obsessed lately, and it was becoming a real issue with him getting way too stroppy when she asked him to do something. Setting the boundaries was increasingly difficult when his dad let him play on the computer as much as he liked, which Grace knew he only did as it was easier than interacting with his son. But while she was chatting to Gladys that day and he was quiet and happy, she let him play.

Over tea, Grace told Gladys all about her family. It felt really natural to share so much with her; she was such a sincere, interesting and open character, and Grace had warmed to her immediately, thinking how much her mum would have liked her.

So Grace told Gladys about how her dad had recently moved out of his house and into a local retirement village. He had gone to pieces when her mum died – they had been together for fifty years – and Grace was so happy that he was finally starting to enjoy life again. He had his own private flat, but it was in a community where lots of people were in the same boat and he could have company if he wanted, but he could also choose to be alone. There was a small supermarket onsite, and carers and cleaners popping in and out for those who weren’t quite so mobile. And he had made new friends who were constantly visiting him. It was perfect and it had given him a new lease of life.

When her dad still lived at home, Grace had made sure to keep popping in to keep him company even though he was quite demanding and often grumpy. Mark was charming in front of his father-in-law but behind closed doors he didn’t like that Grace spent lots of time with her dad and didn’t understand his neediness. But Grace knew her dad was lonely and craving attention. He’d been with her mum so long that he didn’t know how to exist on his own. Sometimes she’d be driving home from his house when she’d get a call on her mobile from her dad’s neighbour to say that he was feeling unwell. Grace knew it was attention-seeking, because he’d been perfectly fine when she’d left him not that long ago, but he constantly needed the reassurance of people around him.

The retirement village was therefore the perfect answer and doing her a favour too, as it meant that she got some time out from her dad giving her earache about her son coming from a ‘broken home’. Her father’s mindset was old school; he thought that people should stick together through thick and thin for the sake of their children and not be selfish and divide their family. Grace was aware that her father totally disapproved when she kicked out Mark and felt that they should have worked through their differences – which was rich, really, coming from him, who had been a bit of a lad in his day. But Grace knew that now she had Archie, she couldn’t put up with what her mum had lived with, although times were different then.

She remembered a conversation she once had over a cup of tea one afternoon when her mum was having a moan about the lack of respect that she was shown in her marriage. Her mum’s view was that you either put up with the person you’d chosen to be with and got on with it or you worked hard to sort it out and fix it. You made your bed and all that. But Grace knew that if she stayed with Mark, not only was she not being true to herself, but she was also showing Archie that it was OK to act that way too. She was determined that she’d make sure Archie would grow up to know how to treat people properly. Grace wanted to show him that relationships were meant to be happy, not tolerated.

Gladys took the details of the retirement village and said it sounded pretty perfect for her too, that she’d give them a call and maybe arrange a visit. Grace found herself offering to take her along to meet her dad one of the days so that she could get a feel for the place. Gladys was someone that she felt she wanted to spend more time with, and this would be helping her too.

She glanced at her watch. ‘Gladys, it’s been a real treat to meet you and to look round your amazing house. We love it, as you can probably tell. But it’s nearly time for Archie’s football training and I’m going to have to tear myself away from your beautiful home and do some workings out, and we’ll be in touch, if that’s OK.’

The moment Grace got in the car, she rang her work and raved to Edward, the agency owner, how much she loved the house, and told him not to show it to anyone else just yet – one of the perks of working as an estate agent. He could hear the excitement bubbling over in her voice but kindly told her to sleep on it and that they’d discuss it when she was next at work.

When she went into the office the next day, they chatted over a coffee and agreed a plan of action. He suggested a low but sensible offer and made the call to Mrs Robinson while Grace waited with bated breath. Gladys wanted to go away and discuss things with her family and said she’d be back to them within a few days, after she’d had time to mull over everything.

In the meantime, Grace couldn’t concentrate on a thing. Her head was full of the house and how it might look once she’d put her stamp on it. Archie had always wanted a navy-blue bedroom, which just wouldn’t have been right in their modern build, but Grace thought it could work beautifully in the new house. She had always loved deep, dramatic colours, and because of the height of the rooms and the light that the huge windows let in everywhere, deep colours would be perfect and really make a statement.

The roll-top bath in the main bathroom was simply to die for. She could imagine new tiles on the floor, with underfloor heating. This house had the potential to be magazine-worthy; she had totally fallen in love with it, although she was trying not to get too carried away just in case she was disappointed. But even if she didn’t want to admit it, the house had got under her skin. It was even a little closer to the high school that Archie would be going to next year, which was another bonus, and he’d be able to walk home quite easily. There wasn’t one thing about this house that she didn’t love – apart from the money it would take to get it to be how she dreamed it could be. But there was no rush. If they got it, they’d have all the time in the world, and she’d just have to work harder and gain more commission to pay for the things that it needed.

When, two days later, Mrs Robinson phoned Edward to say that they were happy to accept her offer, Grace couldn’t believe her luck. Mrs Robinson said to Edward that she thought Grace was a lovely lady and that Archie was adorable and that she couldn’t think of anyone better to move into her home.

Hearing these words, Grace was truly over the moon. This new house would give her and Archie the new start they needed. Maybe dreams could come true after all.

* * *

Two weeks after they’d been to look at the house, Grace and Archie picked up Gladys and took her over to meet her father in the retirement village. She’d told him they were coming, and he’d laid out tea and cakes to welcome her. It was lovely to see her dad with some colour in his cheeks, excited about having guests. Although he could still be grumpy at times, he loved spending time with his grandson and Archie adored his papa. That day, Grace noticed that her dad had on freshly laundered clothes, and she even smelt aftershave. She smiled to herself. He welcomed Gladys with warmth and invited her to take a look around his flat while Grace put the kettle on. He proudly told them all that he’d ordered cakes especially, with his Tesco home delivery. Grace was amazed that he’d bought himself the latest Apple Mac and had been having lessons in the community centre from a young IT professional who was helping the residents get ‘on the line’. He’d ought to be clocking up loyalty points based on how much he was spending on his Amazon account.

Her dad was telling Gladys how safe and secure he felt in his new home, how he could be alone if he wanted to and cook his own meals, or how more often than not he went to eat in the community dining room where he didn’t have to do any washing up. Grace was delighted to see that her father seemed to have a new lease of life, and Gladys was bowled over by the place, asking Grace if she could arrange an appointment with the manager to find out if there were any free flats. Grace and Archie wandered off over to the main building to see if she could find someone to talk to. The manager came back over with her to her father’s flat and, as they walked in, all they could hear was the tinkling of laughter from the lounge.

It warmed Grace’s heart and she hoped that Gladys and her dad would become firm friends if she decided to move in there. Gladys went to view an apartment and returned a short time later with a huge grin on her face, announcing that she would be moving into flat number five as soon as she physically could. Grace was amazed by how quickly she’d made her decision and asked her whether she needed to take some time before committing.

‘I’ve spoken to the family and we had already decided that it was a great idea. I’ve done nothing but look at brochures of this place since I accepted the offer you made on the house and had pretty much made up my mind. Coming here and meeting your dad and some of the other residents in the community hall has made me realise how I miss company. There’s a flat vacant so I’m moving in and I am looking forward to moving on to a new adventure. It must be fate, meeting you and you telling me about this place,’ she said, giving Grace a big hug.

Grace adored this little old lady, who seemed to have more energy and positivity than she did. Her father appeared delighted at the prospect of having a new friend close by, and they chatted about what mischief they could get up to when she moved in.

* * *

The sound of a taxi beeping outside Grace’s house shook her from her memory, and she took in a deep breath, knowing it was now or never. It was a good job that she’d hardly had to do anything to get ready; it was nice having her hair, make-up and clothes all sorted for her. She’d really just had to grab her handbag, touch up her lippy and go. It had been ages since she’d been out properly, and Monica had arranged for them to go to Elizabeth’s wine bar in the village.

As the taxi set off, and she’d greeted Monica, who was already sitting in the back, Grace reflected that Little Ollington was the kind of picture-perfect village that she had always dreamed of living in. There was a duck pond on the green, overlooked by the local church, and a high street with several shops. A few were for tourists, selling knick-knacks that you would never use, but there were a couple of teashops and a few other practical shops, plus the obligatory supermarket. The local forest attracted lots of visitors when the weather was nice, and there were dog walkers and mountain bikers galore on a beautiful sunny day. She didn’t know how she’d feel about living in a village when she first moved here, not really knowing a soul, but she’d made contacts through work and school, and some of those had become friends. Now she couldn’t imagine not living here.

Her parents had lived on the outskirts of Birmingham and they’d never really known much about their neighbours and locality. Despite growing up there, Grace much preferred the countryside to a city, loving the fact that when you went to the local supermarket, you’d bump into lots of people you knew and would have the chance to chat to. And because the estate agency was such an integral part of village life, she’d got to know the other shop owners and locals quite quickly when they arrived. Grace loved that Archie got to grow up in a much nicer, calmer place than she had, where they could appreciate nature and walk around feeling safe and secure.

The taxi dropped them off, and as they walked down the high street, they passed a shop that had been closed down for years.

‘One day…’ Grace muttered to herself.

‘One day what?’ Monica asked.

‘Christ, can nothing get past you? How did you hear that?’

‘Errr, hello! You said it out loud! So come on, spill the beans! What did you mean?’ Monica enquired.

‘Oh it’s just a dream of mine. I can’t tell you because that would make it real and I’ve never admitted it to anyone before.’

A voice came out of nowhere. Darling girl, if I taught you nothing more in life, it’s that through hard work and determination, you can make your dreams come true. You just have to have the courage to follow and pursue them. Don’t let dreams just be dreams. Life is short; turn your dreams into reality. But how can anyone help you if you don’t help yourself?

Monica replied, ‘You’re going to tell me though, right?’

Grace took a deep breath and quickly mumbled, ‘I’ve always dreamt of turning that place into a bookshop, that’s all.’

‘Well, do it then!’ said Monica.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Grace replied. ‘Just because I had an idea doesn’t mean that I’d ever be capable of turning it into a business. I’d never be able to do that!’

‘Why ever not?’ Monica questioned. ‘You’ve been brilliant at the estate agency. Clearly you have a head for business. Don’t put yourself down. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.’

‘Hey, I need to stop you there, hun. Don’t you think there’s been enough life-changing today?’

Reluctantly, as she knew she’d already put her friend through her paces, Monica muttered ‘Whatever’ and dropped the subject as they went into the wine bar. Grace groaned internally, knowing that Monica was just parking this idea for a future conversation.

The bar was modern and pretentious and not the sort of place that Grace would normally choose to go, although she went out so rarely that she didn’t know what she did or doesn’t like these days. Monica introduced Grace to the barman.

‘Grace, meet Mario, Italy’s finest barman. He fell in love with a friend of mine called Beth who was on holiday in the Italian Lakes. He missed her so much when she returned home that he got on a flight to the UK, spent weeks tracking her down and when he finally did, declared his undying love. Luckily for him, she owned this bar, and that’s why the gorgeous Mario is our wine waiter this evening.’

Mario smiled. ‘It is all true. And I met this a-lovely laydee called Monica who is my wife’s a-friend. So, beautiful laydeees, what is your delicious pleasure this evening?’ Coming from an English man, that would have sounded so cheesy, but it just sounded so perfectly right in a sexy, deep Italian accent. Monica ordered them a bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio, and Mario said that he would bring it over to them, so they took the two tub chairs in the bay window that overlooked the pretty high street. Grace sighed with contentment. She really loved living here.

‘OMG! I nearly forgot to tell you. You will never believe what happened to me this afternoon,’ Grace said, relaying the story of ‘Fit Bloke’ turning up. Her eyes shone and she lit up with excitement as she described Vinnie.

‘OK, madam!’ Monica announced. ‘You very clearly need a man in your life, so the next thing I am going to do is find you one.’

‘No thanks, Mon,’ Grace replied determinedly. ‘I’m happy enough on my own – well, with Archie and Becks, anyway.’

‘Darling, Archie is a child and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but one day he is going to grow up, become independent and leave you. And as for Becks… Well, I hate to burst your bubble but Becks is a dog if you hadn’t realised, not a man! And you’re hardly going to meet someone when you don’t go anywhere. You walk to school, go to work and sometimes venture to your local supermarket. It’s not enough though, Grace,’ Monica said kindly. ‘I know that people invite you places, so please don’t tell me they don’t. Why don’t you go?’

‘I just feel that everyone must be thinking there’s something wrong with me because I can’t find a bloke. I hate going out when people are in couples. I know it’s really kind of them to invite me, and they don’t understand, but I just feel like a leper being on my own. Do you know, recently I met up with some of the mums from school for coffee and one of them said that her brother had arranged to have a table at a charity event at a local rugby club and she wondered if any couples would like to go. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I was mortified. Then when I got home, I realised how bloody rude it was of her to do that! And then I became angry because she obviously felt that it was OK to leave out people who were single and only invite people if they were in a couple. Yet, I ended up being the one who felt awkward. How could I allow someone to make me feel like that?’

‘God knows what that was all about. I wish I’d have been there. I’d have bloody said something. I’m sure she didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But darling, that was how you chose to feel. Everyone has a choice in how they feel. And you can’t change someone else’s behaviour. All you can do is change your reaction towards their behaviour. If you felt that she was being rude, perhaps you should have said something at the time rather than come home and let it fester so you ended up feeling doubly bad.’

Grace knew that for all Monica’s interference and exaggeration, she was incredibly astute when it came to feelings and that she only had her friend’s best interests at heart, always trying to give her confidence from a place of love.

‘Anyway, I knew you’d say no, so I’ve already signed you up with a profile on a dating site.’

Grace nearly spat out her Pinot. ‘You’ve done what?’

‘Well, you wouldn’t have done it yourself so I’ve done it for you. It’s a site where you can write a statement on behalf of your friend. Do you want to know what your profile says?’ she asked, getting her iPad out of her handbag.

Grace put her head in her hands, her heart sinking, and sighed loudly. ‘Oh, Mon, what have you done?’

‘I’m putting you out there, gorgeous. You are much too fabulous to be alone and I’ve been lovely about you. I’m your friend and I know how amazing you are, so of course it’s just fantastic. Just listen to what I put before you say it’s not for you. Please, Grace.’

Monica took Grace’s stunned silence as approval and read out the profile that she’d very carefully pondered over for hours before finally hitting the submit button.

‘“Vivacious and curvy with a fabulous personality, Grace is my amazing friend who is beautiful inside and out and deserves someone in her life who will love her deeply and treat her like a princess. She’s kind, she’s generous, she’s totally awesome and would do anything to help anyone ahead of helping herself. She’s a mum to a ten-year-old, and it’s now time that she started to put herself first and have someone wine and dine her and love and respect her for the incredible person that she is.”

‘See, that’s not too bad, is it?’ she asked.

‘S’pose not!’ Grace answered like a truculent teenager. ‘But I am so going to get you back for this one day!’

‘Oh darling, that’s fine by me. I mean every word I say about you. I hate to think of you being alone when Archie is at his dad’s. I know how much you hate it and you can’t just keep going to bed at eight o’clock at night so that the time goes quicker. And don’t even try to deny that!’ She held her finger up to stop Grace as she went to open her mouth to speak.

‘Anyway, I did this last weekend and I wanted to leave it till today so I could get a fab picture of you all dolled up to put on the site. I used that picture of you that we took today, after your make-over with Bernice and Carlos! Let’s have a look at some of the men on there and see if there’s anyone you like the look of.’

‘Oh God! Must we?’

‘Yes, we must, gorgeous!’

‘Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a look, would it?’ Grace said tentatively, peering over Monica’s shoulder at the list of available men.

‘Oooh, he looks nice!’ Monica picked out Dave from Essex.

‘He looks like he’s just come out of prison,’ muttered Grace. ‘Or is still in there.’ The corners of her mouth actually twitched upwards in what was very nearly a smile.

‘OK, what about Roger from Nuneaton? Do you fancy rogering Roger?’

They both tittered with laughter and Grace thought that if nothing else came from this experience, at least they’d have had a bloody good laugh.

‘They’re all old, Monica!’ Grace exclaimed.

‘I hate to tell you, babe, but you’re no spring chicken yourself these days! We could always extend the age range to incorporate toy boys for you?’

‘No! Absolutely not! Ooh… what about him? He looks nice. What does his profile say?’ She pointed out the most normal-looking of the men on the page. He looked nice and friendly. The only downside was that his name was Derek.

‘It says, “Derek is a self-confessed great bloke. He hates nightclubs and noisy pubs and would much prefer to go out for delicious meals and a good bottle of red. A plumber who is very handy around the house, and very well house-trained, he loves taking on refurbishing projects and going on long walks in the countryside.”

‘He sounds worth a try, Gracie. You might get your dream bathroom quicker than you thought! And think about the house. You could make a list of jobs you need doing and ask him on your first date if he’s capable of doing them. Interview him to see if he’s up to the job.’

Grace smiled and thought how nice it would be to actually have someone handy around the house. Mark was absolutely rubbish at DIY and too tight to pay anyone to do it, so consequently they had lived in a state of unfinished jobs which she’d had to pay a fortune out to have finished before she could even consider putting the house on the market.

Within a few clicks, and before Grace could even think any further about it, Monica had sent a request through to the site to connect with Derek.

‘OK, let’s see what happens now!’

Grace could not believe that she had been talked into this. Internet dating was something that tons of people had suggested to her and she had strongly protested against. In fact, she’d had a massive row with Hannah about it when Hannah had suggested it’d be a great laugh. ‘A great laugh for the people who didn’t have to do it,’ Grace had yelled at Hannah, slamming down the phone. She’d had to ring back and apologise, realising that she was so scared at getting out of her comfort zone that she’d taken it out on her sister, who Grace knew would never upset her intentionally.

Another friend of hers, Lynne, had suggested that she should go speed-dating and said that she thought it would be great fun. It was OK for her though; she was married, and her husband John even said that he’d go too and choose someone for her! It seemed that their idea of a fun evening out was a little different to Grace’s.

Grace temporarily and conveniently forgot their discussion about the dating site and she and Monica slipped back into their favourite pastime of people watching. They loved to pick out people and make up stories about them.

While they were discussing the lives of a couple that they’d nicknamed Doreen and Dave, who had hardly anything to say and sat on their respective phones ignoring each other, there was a commotion at the entrance of the bar and a group of rowdy men came in. When they dispersed to the bar, one of them in particular caught Grace’s eye. He had his back to them and was stood on the edge of the group, not really fitting in, seeming quieter than the rest, and, oh boy, he looked like he had a body to die for from the back. He was dressed in smart jeans and a trendy blue shirt and jumper.

For the first time in a long time, Grace thought that he looked like the sort of guy she might like to get to know better, then checked herself and wondered why anyone like that would ever look at her. She was a single mum of a ten-year-old, fat and frumpy, and her idea of an exciting night out was a trip to her local Tesco to buy a new pair of pyjamas. She’d even been invited recently to a food-tasting event by the local manager for being one of their most loyal customers! Even before Monica had thrown away most of her wardrobe, Grace had had more clothes to go to bed in than she did to go out.

‘Ooooh! Fitty at ten o’clock! He’s lush!’ whispered Monica. ‘I could see you and Fitty making beautiful babies together.’ They giggled just a tad too loudly, feeling the effects of a glass or two of Pinot until ‘Fitty’ turned round and looked Grace straight in the eye.

It was Vinnie!

He smiled shyly at Grace as soon as he recognised her, seemingly embarrassed by his own loud friends. God, he really is gorgeous, she thought. Then he was lost in the crowd as they all started jostling each other and began what appeared to be a drinking competition.

Grace excused herself to go to the ladies’ and when she came out, he was just on his way into the gents’. As she passed him, she realised once again that he had the dreamiest blue eyes she’d ever seen.

‘Hello again,’ he said. ‘Sorry about the loud blokes I’m with! Hope they’re not spoiling your evening.’

‘That’s OK,’ Grace replied. ‘You don’t seem to be half as loud as they are, though.’

‘I’m not, that’s why. But my mate dragged me out.’ He looked sheepish but she couldn’t help thinking how incredibly handsome he was. She could get lost in those eyes forever. And that voice!

‘I know that feeling. I’m normally in watching X Factor and eating a Chinese in my jimmies on a Saturday or dancing around the lounge to Strictly,but I’ve been dragged out by my friend Monica. She’s trying to encourage me to get out into the big bad world more.’ Grace smiled, knowing that Monica only had her best interests at heart.

‘What about your husband? Is he babysitting tonight? I noticed that you wear a wedding ring and I remember you talking about your son earlier.’

‘Oh no, the rings belonged to my mum, I just wear them because they were hers and it makes me feel close to her. No… as for me and my son’s dad, we’re not together any more.’

Vinnie smiled. ‘Oh right. That’s good. Oh sorry, I don’t mean good. You know…’

‘Oy-oy, Vinster!’ A tall, friendly looking man came up and patted him on the back. ‘Hope you’re not chatting this poor defenceless lady up, mate. You know Ellie won’t like it!’

Vinnie looked sheepish. ‘I suppose I’d better get back to my mates. I can’t wait till tomorrow, truth be told, as I normally spend my weekend mornings at the new coffee shop in town. It belongs to my sister Ruth, and I try to make it look busy for her. I always take some work along so I don’t look like an idiot on my own, or you can find me in a corner with my nose stuck in a book. I’m a proper bookworm. Probably shouldn’t have confessed that,’ he said, smiling. ‘But you should come along, it’s really nice there and the coffee is great.’

Grace loved that Vinnie admitted to reading books. Mark always said she was rude when she read instead of watched TV with him. ‘Bye, Vinnie, good to see you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.’

‘You too, Grace. And it was really nice to see you again. You look amazing, by the way!’

Grace blushed. She was not used to getting compliments. Vinnie’s cheeks also looked a little on the rosy side all of a sudden. Perhaps he wasn’t used to giving them out.

As she walked back into the bar, she turned at the same time he did, and they grinned at each other and he gave her a wink. Her heart exploded with lots of tiny fireworks. But then she thought it was just her luck to find someone she finally fancied to discover he was already taken. She wondered if ‘Ellie’ was the sender of the text message he’d received when he was looking at her garden, the one that had made him frown.

‘Monica, you will not believe who that fit bloke at the bar was.’ Grace was flushed as she returned to her seat.

‘Ooh, how exciting. Tell me more, you gorgeous creature,’ slurred Monica, who had reached the bottom of her large glass of wine and had been up to the bar to fetch another bottle. ‘I told you that you looked a million dollars tonight, didn’t I?’

‘Ha! Only Vinnie, the gorgeous landscaper. He said that his sister has a coffee shop and that I should pop in on a Saturday as he’s always there. I probably won’t go, though. Anyway, I think he has a girlfriend. His friend mentioned a girl’s name and said that she wouldn’t like him talking to me.’

‘Not going? For God’s sake girl, you don’t have to marry the guy, he only asked you for coffee! You have to go. Just get yourself out there and start to live again. You can’t just live your life for your son. You are so miserable when you’re not with him, but this is how your life is now. I just want you to do something for yourself when Archie’s with his dad. You can either wallow and have a pity party, or you can get out there and grab life with both hands. Life is too short, and you are too fabulous to be alone!’

‘I know life’s short, Mon, but I hate not being a mum and being part of a family. It’s all I ever wanted in my life, and when I had Archie I felt that my life was complete. When he’s not with me at home, it’s like the soul has gone from my house. The only thing I’ve ever been really good at in my life is being mum to Archie and when he’s not there I feel completely lost.’ Grace tried to explain.

‘You’re lonely, Grace,’ Monica said gently. ‘You need to get out more and enjoy some company or you’re going to end up a very sad and lonely lady who lives her life for her son. You are such a lovely person and have so much to offer someone. But if you’re not careful, you are going to smother Archie and when he grows up and wants to fly the nest, you’re never going to want him to leave. You’ll have him still living at home when he’s forty!’

Grace laughed and snorted wine down her nose and all over her blue jumpsuit.

‘Ew sweetie, you’re going to have to brush up on your manners if you’re going on a date!’ Monica laughed.

‘I haven’t said I’m going yet,’ Grace replied.

* * *

Thank heavens for that. No pun intended! I’m so glad I engineered you meeting this nice young man. You need to recognise a good’un when you see one. I wish you could see what I could see, my darling girl. I wish you could see into the future and know that there is someone out there who is perfect for you. Someone who is kind, who is gorgeous, solvent and handy too! But above all, someone who knows how to treat and respect a woman. Now all you have to do is make sure you don’t bugger another one up! I love you, Mumxxx